


Strangers

by Anon_M



Series: Leorio Two Part Series [1]
Category: Da Vinci's Demons
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, I ship I ship I ship I ship, Leo/Riario, Lucrezia/Leo (past), M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-08-14 05:54:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8001004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anon_M/pseuds/Anon_M
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An interesting man walks into Leo's bar, and the artist is desperate to get to know him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Muhahahaha fluff. All fluff. No death or anything. I quite proud of that too. Have fun reading!

Riario was scared to make new friends.  
He had very few, and it really dwindled down to simply his uncle.

Leo was sociable and cute. He was one of those people who knew everyone and was well liked by even more. His bar was open all hours of the day, and his flat was rarely locked.

These two were opposites, but Leo was inevitably drawn to this quiet, mysterious and shy man at the corner of his club.  
This intriguing young man took his attentions from Luncrzia, and that made her angry. Leo thought it fair, that it showed her how irritated he was upon seeing her with Lorenzo. Nothing was lonelier than seeing her on his arm and still being alone. 

Maybe this man could stifle is loneliness. 

So Leo approached, his eyes shifting over this stranger, almost begging for dull blue to meet autumn green.  
And finally they did. 

Riario was startled to see one Leonardo Da Vinci walking his way, ever changing shades of green rolling over him in waves.  
It made him feel wanted, as though he was of some value.  
And he wasn't at all accustomed to it.  
But he wasn't complaining about it either. 

"Might I offer you a free drink?"  
Leo was standing mere feet away now, speaking clearly to Riario.  
A deep blush settled onto the mans cheeks, dusting his tanned feature with pink. 

"I think you might."  
Leo smiled sweetly at him, something he was also unfamiliar with.  
Leo's smile was dazzling, even when soft. His eyes shined with merriment and sweetness seemed to ooze from his very essence. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes alerted Riario that he smiled quite often.  
"What would you like?"  
Riario was quiet for a moment, considering his choices carefully. 

"Vodka." He said smoothly, his eyes softening by the moment, losing their sharp edge.  
Leo returned within moments with several drinks, all of which turned out to be Vodka.  
They introduced themselves and Leo got throughly acquainted with this adorably strange man in his bar. 

His name was Girlamo Riario, and he personally hated his first name, so please call him Riario.  
He had his uncle and had worked for him since he was extremely young. His mother was traveling France with his father.  
And otherwise he was alone.  
He used to be a soldier for Rome, but he removed himself from that stature in favor of living in Florence, where he now resides.  
Some of these things were lies, and Leo knew so, but he didn't want to push his new Friend.  
"Leo! Stop flirting and help me!" Zoroaster beckoned. Leonardo looked immensely annoyed.  
"I'm the boss, I should be telling you what to do!"  
"Well, you aren't telling me, now are you? Get over here and help me with drinks."  
Leo looked sadly at Riario, and his eyes lit up suddenly.  
"It's the twenty first century, Riario!"  
Confused, the man replied. "Yes, Leonardo, I assumed you were aware."  
Chuckling, Leo sipped his drink.  
"I can call you, if you'll take my number."  
Another blush settled across Riario cheeks at this foreign feeling.  
"Here it is, take it or leave it, though I hope you'll take it." He smiled brightly. "Now I take my leave, Vanessa seems to be getting angry as well. Zo is so persistent.." And with that he jogged to his friends, coworkers and employees to tell them of the stranger and wonderful man he had just met.


	2. Tears About Other Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't proofread

Riario sat in silence as Leo paced around his workspace.  
This little apartment studio was crushing Leo's creativity, but this was New York. A place that had small apartments and no hope.   
Yet Leo wouldn't allow that to be the case with him. He was a determined person, and he refused to be contained. 

So he paced. He paced around his studio, gnawing on a pencil.   
Finally, Riario had enough, looping his arm around the man's waist to make him pause. 

"Leonardo, please just take a break. You're making me nervous."   
Leo looked like he'd been slapped, and Riario immediately realized his mistake.   
"Why will you not let me call you Leonardo?"  
With a hurt sigh, Leo settled himself onto Riario's lap.   
"I just hoped we were past formalities. My friends, my closest people, my dearest....call me Leo. It stings that you won't." 

Riario reached and touched his lips to Leo's.   
"I'm sorry, darling. It's a habit I need to break."   
Leo smiled, and furthered the kiss, pushing Riario back to dominate the kiss.   
"I'm in all hope that you will, and quickly, Girolamo."   
"How quickly?" He said, biting back a pleased gasp as Leo bit his lip.   
"A moments time." 

 

The morning to follow was a pleasing one. Both were in good cheer, and Leo had thought up an invention. 

"Girolamo. I would like to build-"  
"No." His boyfriend said.   
"But you haven't even heard what I wanted to build!" Leo looked indignant.   
Girolamo rolled his eyes. "Alright, tell me."   
"It's a-"  
"No."   
Angrily, Leo sighed. "Why aren't you trying to be supportive of me?"  
"Because that's encouragement for you to do something stupid, so I will do anything and everything I can to make sure you don't."   
Leo sat down, tapping his fingers on the table. 

"Don't be upset, darling. I'm sure it's clever, and useful. But you take to much damage trying to make these things. You make me worried."   
Girolamo set a plate of bacon on the table, and kissed his boyfriends jaw. "Leo, eat something, and then we'll see about a blueprint and see if I approve."   
Leo smiled, not only at the opportunity, but at his lover saying his name. 

"You want to make a new type of car?"   
"Precisely! Do you like it?"   
The worrying thoughts in Girolamo's mind were written clearly on his face.   
"Leo.."   
"Girolamo, I need to do something. Anything. I just need something to work on. Even if it's on a small scale size of this, I need to do it." 

Riario reached out to Leo, setting a hand on his waist, as if reassuring himself that this was real.   
"I think that you could do this." Leo laughed happily at the statement.   
"With me watching to make sure that you don't die, and also to ease my mind."   
"So I can't work without you?"   
"That is my condition."   
Leo looked overjoyed. 

"You'll finally see me at work as an inventor! You've never seen in step by step!" 

Leo's smile was infectious, as it always was, and Girolamo smiled.   
"I'm glad you're happy about this." 

"I get to do what I love, with whom I love. Who wouldn't be happy?" 

 

Girolamo, it seemed, was the unhappy one.   
For days that turned into weeks, he got no attention. Leo's full affection and focus was on his project, leaving Girolamo tired and lonely.   
"Leo, will you stop to eat-"  
"No! I'm nearly finished." The rude tone of voice set Girolamo's teeth on edge. 

"I'm going out.  
I release you from my conditions. Do whatever the fuck you want, Leonardo." 

 

Girolamo didn't return that night, or the next day, or the day after, but Leo didn't notice. Plates of uneaten food sat close to his workspace, where he hasn't eaten in days, but his boyfriend still cooked for him. 

He didn't notice the absence of another person until he was in his finally stages and he let himself rest. 

"Girolamo? Have you left?"   
There was a note on the counter, in Vanessa's handwriting.   
When had Vanessa been here?  
The note read:   
"Leo,   
Girolamo is with us. I hope you find this in time to fix things with him, even though I'm not sure you know you've done anything wrong. Just come over when you find this and we'll all talk it out, okay?  
-V and Zo"

He had to fix things with Girolamo?   
He had thought he heard 'Leonardo' instead of Leo, but he wasn't paying much attention. 

Leo got in the shower to clean himself, and saw that everything was but his things were gone.   
Girolamo had taken his things with him? How long did he expect to leave? 

Panic rose in his chest. Girolamo had left him.   
What had he done to upset the man so? 

All of these questions spun in his head as he made his was to Vanessa and Zo's apartment. They had thought it cheaper to house together, with Nico using that as a resting place, than to live separately. 

"You finally found the note-"  
"Leonardo, have you eaten? I left food on the counter for you. In bags and boxes."   
Girolamo looked a wreck, his hair tousled and eyes dark.   
"I haven't, but I read the note. What are we to discuss? I've done something terribly wrong, I see that now, but I don't know what it is that I've done. Or, maybe...haven't?" 

"Darling, can you eat first? Please? You worry me."   
"We need to talk this through!"   
"This is exactly the reason I left, Leonardo. You ignored me. I would try my hardest to be good for and help you but you were so wrapped up in yourself that there was no reason for me to be there. You would get angry when I would ask question. You even threw something at me. Do you remember none of that? I just want you to eat something. Just eat something."   
Girolamo was on the verge of tears and out of breath by the end of it.   
"I'm sorry, Riario." Leo said, his voice was flat and sad sounding. "I'm sorry."  
Girolamo burst into tear at hearing his formal name, backing up a few steps.   
"I didn't mean to hurt you."   
Zo interjected here. "You damn sure did. He didn't cry the entire time he was here, but we could feel how hurt he was. It was coming off him in waves. How are you not drowning in guilt? He's crying, hurting, because of you." 

"I know he is, Zo!" He shouted, but Zo didn't budge.   
"I don't know how to fix things. I'm sorry that I don't. I wish I did. But I don't."   
Girolamo rushed forwards and hugged Leo gently. Leo didn't move to hug him back, or acknowledge him.   
"I wish that I could tell you that it's alright, and that I forgive you for being awful to me, but they wouldn't allow me to, even though it's sincere."   
Leo felt the tears seeping through his shirt, and slowly he found that the tears were not only because of him.


End file.
